Workers are increasingly relying on AI, with a recent study showing that they trust AI to handle about 43 per cent of their work tasks.
This marks a notable shift towards delegating tasks to AI. Interestingly, leaders demonstrate even more confidence in AI, trusting it with 51 per cent of their work compared to 40 per cent among rank-and-file employees.
Looking ahead, 77 per cent of global workers anticipate they will eventually trust AI to operate autonomously.
Presently, only 10 per cent of workers have this level of trust, but within the next three years, 26 per cent believe they will trust AI to function independently. In three or more years, this trust is expected to rise to 41 per cent.
While the preference for AI-human collaboration remains strong, trust in AI to handle certain tasks independently is growing. Currently, 54 per cent of global workers favor a collaborative approach for most tasks.
However, a portion of workers are already comfortable with AI taking on specific responsibilities alone. For instance, 15 per cent trust AI to write code, 13 per cent to uncover data insights, and 12 per cent each to develop communications and act as personal assistants autonomously.
Despite this, there are tasks where human involvement is deemed crucial. A significant number of workers trust only humans to ensure inclusivity (47 per cent), onboard and train employees (46 per cent), and keep data secure (40 per cent).
Building trust in AI involves greater human participation. Sixty-three percent of workers believe that increased human involvement would enhance their trust in AI.
A major hurdle is the lack of understanding, as 54 per cent of workers admit they do not know how AI is implemented or governed in their workplaces.
Those knowledgeable about AI implementation are five times more likely to trust AI to operate autonomously within the next two years compared to those who lack this knowledge.
A notable gender gap exists in AI knowledge, with males being 94 per cent more likely than females to understand how AI is implemented and governed at work.
Additionally, 62 per cent of workers feel that more skill-building and training opportunities would foster greater trust in AI.
Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director, Solutions Engineering Africa, highlighted the enthusiasm for an AI-powered future, emphasizing that human engagement is key to building trust and driving AI adoption.
“By empowering humans at the helm of today’s AI systems, we can build trust and drive adoption – enabling workers to unlock all that AI has to offer,” Saunders stated.
The study was conducted by Salesforce in collaboration with YouGov from March 20 to April 3, 2024. It involved nearly 6,000 full-time knowledge workers from diverse companies across nine countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, India, Singapore, and Switzerland.
